Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Humor and The Print Ad

The printed format, whether it is for magazines, newspapers or billboards, sets specific challenges for ad designers. An idea or message must be communicated simply and swiftly, it must be eye-catching enough to grab the viewer’s attention and convey the important information in an instant. When a print designer employs humor to carry this information, the result can be become a visual ‘one-liner’, a joke that speaks the message the ad intends. This post brings together some hilarious print ads that combine great imagery with cracking comedy.
Posted by Tom Walkerok at Spyrestudios.com
Look at the print ads and answer the questons as comments posts:

Bose Noise reduction Headphones: Waterfall








Kodak Rechargeable Batteries: Tiger





Fibermesh Concrete Reinforcement: Karate



3M Scotch Magic Tape: Overload




DynaKids Vitamins: Making Kids Stronger




Lazer Cycle Helmets: Hospital



Pepsi Twist



1. what is the first thing you notice about these ads as far as what you have learned about print ad layout?


2. What do you think the selling message is for the scotch tape ad?


3. Explain why you think the use of humor in a print ad is effective or not effective.


4. Do you think it is OK to have print ads without all the elements that we learned about? Explain your answer.


5. Did you find the ads funny?

49 comments:

Colby Anderson said...

1. The first thing you notice on the ads is signature.

2. That there is a lot of tape in the little container. You dont need a lot to hold it together.

3. It makes people more relaxed and in a lighter mood, more willing to buy a product.

4. Yes, it is ok because as long as the ad brings in money it doesnt matter if it has all the elements or not.

5. Yes

Laura Wright said...

1.Images and signature is the first thing I noticed.
2.That it is extremely strong.
3.I think it is effective because it gets the customer interested and involved
4. I do think it is okay because this makes the customers more interested and curious in the product.
5. Yes I found these ads funny.

austen lah said...

1. what is the first thing you notice about these ads as far as what you have learned about print ad layout?

they have a center image and little to no copy or even headings. but they do have a signature


2. What do you think the selling message is for the scotch tape ad?

how strong and durable it is.


3. Explain why you think the use of humor in a print ad is effective or not effective.

i think it is effective. because it makes you think about the product and the ad.


4. Do you think it is OK to have print ads without all the elements that we learned about? Explain your answer.

yes. they use humor to get the message out about the product, and the have just enough information.

Philip Boynton said...

1. They had lots of bold color and were funny and caught my eye.
2. That it is strong and can hold anything.
3. I think its effective because it makes people want to stop and look at it, to find out whats so funny about it.
4. I think it could be okay, aslong as the message got across and got people to look at it.
5. Yes, I did find the ads funny.

Josue Soto said...

1. They are all overly dramatic and intended to be humourous.
2. The tape is super strong and will hold up to any job.
3. I think it is effective because it puts people in a cheerful mood after seeing something humorous.
4. No, because it wouldnt be as appealing to customers and its an organized way to advertise.
5. Somewhat.

Brian Furtado said...

1. the first thing i notice is the illustration.
2. its saying that the tape can hold anything together.
3. it is effective because it gets people thinking and helps their reaction.
4.yes, some ads explain themselves and dont need other components to help it out.
5. yes. very humorous

John Crumpler said...

1)The main eye grabber is in the middle of the Ad
2)The scotch tape is the strongest tape on the market.
3)Humor is effective because if you make someone laugh they will be more apt to remember what it was that made them laugh.
4)Yes sometimes certain parts of the ad are in the pictures and dont need to be stated.
5)Yes the ads are comical.

Valery Calderon said...

1. What I first notice is that the ads are humorous and funny.

2. No matter how large or complicated the job Scotch tape is strong enough, durable and very resistant.

3. The use of humor in a print ad is effective because it attracts customers and grabs their attention.

4. Yes, although it may be more useful to use all the elements to have a more successful ad. But at times simple ads can attract many customers.

5. I did find the ads funny. They demonstrate a comedic sense of humor and grab your attention.

Brian Butler said...

1. The first thig i notice when looking at these ads is that they are all four color bleed ads.
2. The selling message is that scotch tape is the strongest tape available.
3. I think that humor is effective in advertising because it gets the viewer more interested in the product.
4. There is no rules for the elements that have to be in an advertisement, therefore, if the ad makes the viewer aware of the product than it shouldn't matter what elements have been used.
5. No

Ausitn Pisacane said...

1. i notice the details that have gone into each ad, the headlines of each ads, and teh colors of teh ads. Also i ahve noticed that all of the ads have their logos in the ad somewhere.
2. the sellling message for taht ad is that the tape is really strong and durable
3. i think it is effective because it shows the ad in a simple way taht lets teh readers know the message in a funny way. It helps the reader to get into teh ad. It can sometimes be not effective if teh ad is to funny and the point is not crossed over to the reader.
4. i think no because then teh ad would not have the message to give adn something to real the reader in. its would not be an effective ad
5.yes

Matt T said...

1. There is something in everyone that draws your attention to itsuch as illustration.
2. It is really strong and can tape anything.
3. I think it is effective plus it casn get the perrson interested in what is going on.
4.Yes because some ads can explain the product without all the elements.

Kayla Cunningham said...

1. What is the first thing you notice about these ads as far as what you have learned about print ad layout?
The first thing I notice is the illustration.

2. What do you think the selling message is for the scotch tape ad?
That it can hold anything, and is super strong.

3. Explain why you think the use of humor in a print ad is effective or not effective.
It is effective because it catches your attention much more than just a plain boring picture and headline.

4. Do you think it is OK to have print ads without all the elements that we learned about? Explain your answer.
Yes, because lots of times people don't bother to look at some of the other elements anyways.

5. Did you find the ads funny?
Yes. I found them very funny. They're alot more interesting than other ads.

Emily Roden said...

1. The first thing i noticed were the jokes in the illustration. It made them eye catching.

2. The selling message is that scotch tape is very dearable, strong, and can hold up alot.

3. I think humor is effective for a print ad because it makes the target audince laugh and actually want to read the copy and then by the product.

4. I think that its okay to leave out a long copy because the information can be easily infered from the picture or headline. The illustration, headline, and signature are essential parts of a print ad and should not be left out.

5. I think that some of the ads are funny but some of them are kinda dumb.

Alann Kragnes said...

1. what is the first thing you notice about these ads as far as what you have learned about print ad layout? All of these ads attract attention and make the viewer more interested.


2. What do you think the selling message is for the scotch tape ad?
That scotch tape is really strong and sticky that it can hold down anything.


3. Explain why you think the use of humor in a print ad is effective or not effective.
The use of humor in a print ad is effective because it makes the viewer to stop and actually pay attention then if it affects them they will tell their friends about it and the company will get a certain rep for being quality.


4. Do you think it is OK to have print ads without all the elements that we learned about? Explain your answer.
I think it is OK to have without all the elements because the basic idea of a print ad is to get a message across to the viewer and positively affect them.

5. Did you find the ads funny?
Yes they were awesome

Jay Hayne said...

1. The first thing that I notice about these ads is that they do not have any headlines.
2. I think the selling message for the scotch tape ad is that scotch tape is really strong.
3. I think the use of humor is effective in print ads because it gets more people to look at the ad and therefore more people will buy the product.
4. I think that it is OK to have print ads without all the elements that we learned about because we can still understand the message of the ad.
5. I found the ads funny.

Troy Athan said...

1. They are ads that are trying really hard to grab the readers attention by making them funny
2. The tape is so strong you can take a giant bail of hay and strap it to a truck
3. It is effective because it grabs the readers attention and gets them to keep reading
4. I think it is ok for an ad to not have all elements as long as the subject is clear for the reader
5. They were pretty funny the best one was the batteries for the dead tiger.

Andrew Murrell said...

1. They all attract your attention to the ad.
2. That the tape is very strong.
3. It is effective, people remember humorous ads and if they remember the ad they remember the product.
4. Yes, all you have to do in an ad is to get people to look at the ad and then get the message to the people.

Jodyn Barham said...

1. They all have some sort of signature
2. That is very strong tape and can hold up a lot of things
3. I think it is effective because it grabs the readers attention
4. Yes, because some ads dont need all of that to show there product so its just giving unessary info
5. Kind of

Nick D. said...

1.These ads dont have a headline or a copy but just a simple picture that shows a literal meaning of what the product can do.
2. The selling message for the scotch tape ad is that it can hold anything together and that it is really strong.
3. I think that the humor in this print ad's are effective becasue it makes you interested to see what its about and what the meaning is and it is entertaining.
4. Yes it is OK if you can get the message across and let the people know what you actually mean.
5. Yes

Cooper Grissom said...

1) All of the ads include an illustration, some include a headline while others don't, and all of them include the company signature, but only one contains a copy.
2) The Scotch tape ad is trying to humorously infer that their tape is very strong and durable.
3) The use of humor in an ad is very effective; when people see or hear a funny ad, they are more likely to remember it and possibly tell their friends/family about it.
4) I think that it's ok to leave out some elements of a print ad. Only one ad contains a copy, but all are memorable, and rather humorous.
5) I find all of the ads humorous, particularly the Kodak battery one.

James Stevens said...

1. The first thing i noticed on all of these ads is that they all show the products in the corner of the ad, yet that is not where you are first directed.
2.I think the selling message of the scotch tape ad is that there tape is very strong and durable.
3.I think humor is effective in ads because it makes the reader want to read an ad and see what is humorous about it,
4.I think it is ok to be missing some elements because you arent always making an ad to have those elements, you are making an ad to be effective and for that yo happen you dont always need those elements.
5. I think the ads are really funny and sell the product well.

Preston Long said...

1.) The first thing that I notice about these ads are that they eye catching and they make you think. When this happens, ads like this usually tend to stick with you.

2.)I think the selling message is that scotch tape is extremly strong and can be trusted with large tasks.

3.) I think the use of humor in print ads is effective because it is uncommon. Usually print ads are plain and to the point. It can be helpful to be different.

4.)Yes, because sometimes, you dont need everything. Sometimes all you need is an illustration and a signature. the illustration can act as the copy and slogan.

5.)I did find the ads funny

Zach Hayden said...

1. the ads that are here all are only pictures and no words. they are trying to convey their message through only images.

2. the selling message for the scotch tape ad is that their take is the strongest and can handle anything.

3. it makes the product more appealing to people because it is funny and if it is really funny then they will show it to other people and the product will be seen by a lot more people.

4. Yes it is ok as long as the viewer knows what product you are showing and they get the whole idea behind the picture.

5. some of them were funny but the pepsi twist one is by far the best. the other ones you have to think about a little for you to understand but they are still kind of funny.

Taylor Grant said...

1.)I noticed that all of these ads include illustration, some include a headline and most include a slogan.
2.)That the tape is very strong and sticky.
3.)I think the use of humor makes an ad memorable which is effective. Bab humor ads would not be effective because its not doing its job.
4.)I think its okay for a company to do that but it would not be an effective way for advertising their product.
5.)Only the Pepsi Twist ad was kind of funny.

Danielle Cooper said...

1. The first thing someone notices is that their eye catching and make the reader want to stop and read the whole ad.
2. The scotch tape ad is telling the reader that this brand of tape can handle anything. scotch tape is strong and sticky because it could hold together that giant bundle of straw.
3.Humor is very effective becuase people want to laugh and be entertained. If they end up getting an ad at the same time, its even better for the company. Humorous ads are also very memorable to the reader and they are more likely to recall that ad over another.
4. I think it is ok for an ad to not have every element. We have looked at numerous ads that don't have a slogan or even a copy. It depends on the type of ad and how well known the company is. some ads are self explanitory and other require more words.
5. Some of the ads where funny but other seemed to be a bit of a stretch and not very funny.

DeVante Daye said...

1. they all have something eye catching

2. It can hold anything

3. It makes the reader want to know more

4. For certain ads yes because its not needed for all product

5. yes

Dershowitz said...

1. They all easily catch your eye because they are kind of bizarre
2. It will keep everything intact
3. it's effective because it catches the readers attention but it may go too far and they won't remember the company behind the ad
4. No because the target audience won't pay any attention to the ad
5. yes

Matt Nance said...

1. the first thing i notice is whether or not the ads have a headline or not.

2. The scotch tape ad is forcusing on saying that their type can hold together the haybails to the truck.

3. I think it is effective because it trigers a respnose from the reader even if its just a smerk or small laugh the will rember the product because of it.

4. Yes. Some ads can get the message across without copy or a headline becuase of their slogan or symbol.

5.yeah a few made me do a small laugh.

taylor harrison said...

1. they all have the logo of the company and a picture.

2. the selling message is that the scotch tape is so strong that it can hold something 2 times bigger then the truck.

3. i think its effective because if it can make people smile then they probaly have a better chance of remembering the ad.

4.yes, if you can clearly get your point across through an ad that doesn't contain all of the elements then you should be allowed to use it.

5. yes, i found a few of the ads funny.

brett mcmillan said...

1. these ad are very good at getting the readers attention
2. it is saying that the tape is strong and ubeleivable reliable
3. it is good because when you see something funny it gets your attention and you want to see whats up with it
4. yes because the illustration does every element by its self
5. yes

Connor Shaw said...

1. All of these ads attract my eyes to them and make me want to look at them harders.
2.It can hold alomost anything together.
3. It is effective becuase it attracts people eyes to what there seeing, but doesn't give a true interpretation of the product.
4. Yes, it is ok because these clearly show the product in a humorful way.
5.I found the ad of the man about to row his boat into Niagra Falls funny.

Kaitlin Walker said...

1. They are all very eye catching and colorful. They grab your attention and draw you into them.
2. That scotch tape can hold a lot together and is very strong.
3. I think it is effective because people love humomrous things and it gets their attention and draws them in
4. I think it is okay but the other aspects of the ad must be very strong and intriguing to the audience that way it will grab the attention of the reader and they will be able to understand it.
5.Yes

Edgar p said...

1.that they dont have nothing to do with what they are selling.
2.that its very strong.
3.it is because it gets the readers atention.
4.yes, because its also leaving a selling menssage and showing the product.
5.yes.

Lev Fershteyn said...

1. I notice vivid imagery as soon as I see the advertisement.

2. I think it is showing how much the tape can hold down and how touch it is.

3. I think that the use of humor is effective because almost everybody loves good humor.

4. I think it is okay, as I personally like some of these ads and would consider buying from the companies.

5. I thought that 4 of the ads were pretty funny, and I did enjoy them.

Taylor Verdi said...

1.none of them have headlines.Theyre mainly just illustrations.
2.show how strong the tape is.
3.its effective because it makes people interested in the ad.
4.no because it wont make people interested in what youre selling.
5.no

Hunter Davis said...

1. These advertisements are mainly just illustrations with a signature. The copy and headlines are non existent.
2. The tape is super strong.
3. I believe that humor can be very effective because it gets the attention of the target market.
4. Yes as long as it is appropriate for your target market and captures their attention.
5. No.

Blake Balbirnie said...

1. That none of them have a copy, there all just mostyl illustrations, signatures, and slogans.

2. That 3M Scotch Magic Tape is very strong and is able to hold much heavier things together.

3. Its much more relaxed and a lot more understandable, the only down side to humor is that some people might not take the ad or company serious.

4. Yes if the illustration is able to get the point across, than i believe that the copy is not a neccasary feature.

5. Yes I thought they were all funny except the Kodak one, because I don't really get that one.

Zain Goheer said...

1. The illustrations
2. If you use scotch tape it can hold almost anything together
3. Humor is effective in a print ad because it makes you laugh and tell you what the product does at the same time
4. Yes because if one thing is missing the whole ad won't be ruined
5. Yes

Taylor Davis said...

1. They are eye-catching but they do not contain a lot of information

2. Scotch Tape is strong

3. I think the use of humor in a print ad is effective because it gets peoples attention and it is memorable

4. I do think it is ok to have print ads without all the elements because the important thing is getting people to recognize and remember your brand

5. Yes I think the ads are funny

Jacob Capps said...

1. they dont have a definate slogan or saying you have to find it yourself
2. the tape is really strong and it can hold up anything
3. itcatches the viewers attention better
4. yes because sometimes its impossible to include everything
5. yes hilarious

TANYA REILLY said...

1. The first thing i noticed about these adds were that they were attention getting becuase thye were kinda werid. The more more attention getting the more you are likily to look at the adds and read them.

2.the message they are trying to sell for scotch tape is that it is very strong and can hold togther anything even hundereds of pounds

3. i think the use of humor in adds are good because it attracts the person becasuse it is funny adn makes them actully want to read the ad

4.It depends becuase the add can still be good but not as good as the adds with all the elements that we have learned about

Blake Norris said...

1. Most of the pictures are interesting and you have to look into them to get the add which grabs your attention.

2. The selling message is something like the tape is unbreakable.

3. Most people like to look at pictures and if its funny thats another plus because it may interest the reader more.

4. Sometimes yes it may be ok to have print ads if the picture is bound to attract the readers attention.

5. Yes the ads made me chuckle.

Yamen Damreh said...

1. The ads are interesting and catch the audience's attention. The pictures make the audience want to keep looking and find out what the ad is for.

2. The message is that it is so strong that nothing can tear the tape.

3. I think that it is effective becuase it makes the audience want to try it and it makes them laugh.

4. No, i dont think it is ok because then it will be missing a lot of important things.

5. I found most of the ads funny but not all of them were funny.

Joelle Deese said...

1) There is no headline, or logo. The product they are advertising is hard to see and it doesnt stand out so you dont really know what they are trying to advertise.
2)that is is strong and it can hold just about anything together.
3)I think its effective because it catches the reader and makes them want to continue to learn about the item they are advertising.
4)Yes i think it is okay to be missing one or two of them but if you leave out most of them then you people dont really know what you are advertising or they just look at the illustation and continue with their day instead of getting hooked.
5) some of the ads i found funny like the pepsi one

John Kanady said...

1. The ad grabs your attention with the images.
2. The message is that scotch tape is very strong and can hold large weight
3. Humor makes things interesting but can also turn someone away from the product for example the Pepsi twist the lime is peeing into the soda for some that might be funny others don’t want to think of their drink that way.
4. Yes you can have an ad without all the elements you do not need a copy or slogan.
5. I found the waterfall ad to be funny and most the others

Delaney Boulo said...

1. I notice that there is no copy or headline. With those things you just have to make assumption as to what is going on. They are all not very serious adn really quite funny.
2. I think the selling message is that Scotch take wants us to know that there tape is so strong and can handle any situation. Which is why they used this Truck with the huge load to show as an exageration what scotch tape can hold together.
3. I think the use of humor is effective because uaslly I know when I read a magazine if I see and ad I just skip right by it and pay no attention but I f i see a really funny picture I am attracted to it then it makes me laugh and gives me an impression and I will alawys have something to remeber the company by.
4. I do think it is ok to have an ad with not all of the elemnets we talked about, because not all ads are the same. There are different strategies for getting differenet people to resond to there ad. I think that each company based on what they are selling and what their target market is should make a decision on what type of elements they want to include and then they should make a format that should be used in their advertisments.
5. I did find these ad quite funny.

Megan Gleason said...

1. that there should be something eye catching about the illustration for the audience to immediately look at.
2. That even that big of an overload of hay won't fall off that truck.
3. The use of humor is effective because even though it does take away some of the purpose of the product being advertised, but the audience would still look into getting that product.
4. There are exceptions for not including all the elements an ad should have. Sometimes, its good to just have the slogan and illustration with the signature because the picture could speak for itself.
5. i do find these ads quite amusing, yet some of them i couldn't see what brand or company its for.

Malik said...

1.That they are mixed up illustrations for the ad but makes since by the description.
2.The tape is magic and can hold anything.
3.I think that the print ads are effective because they all show what the ad is about.
4.No because the ad wont be complete without the other elements/it will make people think its boring.
5.yes

Hodge said...

1. I notice the illustration and what it means to me.
2.That the tape is very stronge and also see through.
3. It is effective because it draws peoples attention and they look at your product but its not effective because its usually not realistic.
4. As long as the message is clear and your product and name is well shown then yes it is OK but if it doesnt make sense without everything then no.
5. I find the pepsi taste one funny.